


War is Nothing to Hope For

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Wonder Woman (2017)
Genre: Gen, I'M REALLY EXCITED, byleth is wonder woman, dimitri is steve trevor, wow this hit me out of nowhere and i fucking ran with it lol
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-17
Packaged: 2020-10-13 01:14:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20574038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Fire Emblem: Three House/Wonder Woman AUByleth, the daughter of the Archbishop Rhea, is raised in the Red Canyon with the remnants of the Nabatean people. When a strange man somehow breaks through the magical barrier protecting the citizens, and leads those who slither in the dark to the hidden society, Byleth must make a harsh decision. Leaving her people behind to end a war may actually be the source of all the answers she's been searching for.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! It's me, Gab! I mentioned this idea in a discord server, and a few of us spouted out ideas like none other. So, I decided to actually write the fic. I will try to update this story as much as I can, but I'm shooting for weekly updates. :) Please, follow me on tumblr @ageofbileth as I'm much more active there. :)

**“** ** _I used to want to save the world.”_ **

A woman with mint colored hair walked across the road, quickly stepping into a building to protect her from the snow. Large paintings cover the walls, a sign with the words “GARREG MACH UNIVERSITY” directly in the center of the far wall. She smiled slightly, walking up the stairs to get to her office.

** _“This beautiful place…”_ **

She had been working for a few hours by the time her coworker walked in, a large parcel under his arms. “Ah, Seteth. What can I do for you?”   


The man grinned at her, bits of green hair peeking through his darkly dyed beard. “I found it, Byleth. I brought him back for you.”

A gasp left the woman’s lips as she took the package from him, quickly ripping off the gift wrap. It was painting of a time long since passed. A woman with teal hair led the charge into battle, a blonde man beside her with several others behind them. All of them held the mythic hero’s relics.   


Byleth felt tears run down her cheeks as she ran her fingers of the portrait of the blonde, a name slipping out softly. “Dimitri”

** _“But the closer you get, the more you see the great darkness simmering within.”_ **

Memories flood her mind, some happy, some filled with anger, and some filled with sadness. But they were memories all the same.

** _“And mankind? That’s another story altogether. What one does when faced with the truth, is more difficult than you think. I learned this the hard way, a long, long time ago.”_ **

* * *

**Imperial Year 1165**

_ Red Canyon _

The sounds of weapons meeting weapons echoed throughout the training grounds; a sea of green hair was all to be seen from above. Swords, lances, axes, bows, and even magic were being utilized all across the field. It truly was a sight to be seen. The Nabateans were an ancient race with an even longer life span. Hidden from the world in the Red Canyon, they fought to train to protect themselves from an unavoidable threat.   


Their race was almost extinct, thanks to Nemesis, the so-called “King of Liberation”. He killed their creator, and then proceeded to slaughter half their race. That was nearly over a millenia ago, and thanks to Lady Seiros, the Nabateans are once again thriving, hidden safely behind a magical barrier.

The training ground was full, sparring matches between all sorts of weapons were being held all over the field. It was a wonder that a few broke their concentration to see a young girl with teal hair, watching with full intent, even practicing different moves. Seteth, the general of the army, caught her gaze and gave her a disapproving glare. She just stared back with a blank look.

“Byleth!” Flayn, Seteth’s daughter, and Byleth’s tutor, was chasing down the girl. Of course, as soon as her name was called, Byleth took off in the opposite direction in a sprint. Flayn sighed, picking up her dress and started to run faster, making her father chuckle as she passed him. Of course, he gestured for Macuil to take over drills so he could follow his daughter.

“Byleth! I can see you!”

Byleth ran through the courtyard, passing the friendly gatekeeper, who laughed at her antics. The knights making their way through the main entry tried to stop her as they saw Flayn relatively close behind her. Alas, they weren’t quick enough to catch the younger girl, who dodged them and made her way up the stairs.   


Flayn continued to chase her student, exasperated with running after her for the better part of the day. “Byleth, come back!!”

The younger girl kept running, dodging everyone she met until she reached the throne room. Smirking, Byleth ran towards the open window. Climbing on the windowsill, she looked down below. Hm, shouldn’t be too much of a jump.  _ It most certainly was. _ She actually looked a bit excited as she jumped, aiming for the grass below her, which was nearly impossible for the little girl with no emotions.

She fell, dropping through the air quickly; she was lucky that someone had caught her elbow. With another blank look on her face, Byleth looked up to see a gorgeous woman with long, mint colored hair, and a crown that had nearly caught on the edge of the window due to its size.   


“Hello, mother. How are you today?”

Rhea smiled, her eyes crinkling with joy as she lifted Byleth back through the window. “How many times, little one?”

“I haven’t counted yet. Quite a few, I’m assuming.”

“I believe you own Flayn an apology.” Said girl smiled down at Byleth, trying to catch her breath.

Byleth sighed, “I’m sorry, Ms. Flayn.”

“It’s alright, Bylie. Just try not to do it again, please.” Ever the optimist, Flayn’s grin grew bigger, and she turned to exit the throne room. Seteth, however, stayed behind.   


“Mother, don’t you think it’s time to start my training?”

Rhea’s smile dropped, and she scoffed at her daughter. “You are training, Byleth. Your mind is your weapon. All battles start and end there.”

“But Seteth believes I’m ready!”

Rhea eyed Seteth as he bowed respectively. “Does he now?”

The man in question nodded, stepping closer to the group as he spoke. “I could begin teaching some things. She should at least be able to defend herself.”

“From whom?”   


“In the event of an invasion!”

“I do believe I have an army at my command, general.”

“I pray a day will never come where she has to fight, but you, the wisest of us all, know that one cannot deny their inner nature. A scorpion must sting, a wolf must hunt-”

“She is a  _ child _ . The only child as young as she is on the island. Please, let her be so. If this was Flayn-”

“You know as I do that she is not like Flayn-”

Byleth could only look on as the two siblings fought, their words running over each other from the intensity of the quarrel. It only ended with Rhea narrowing her gaze, grabbing Byleth by the arm, and walking away to their quarters.

“There will be  **no** training, brother.”

Seteth could only sigh in response as he watched his niece being dragged away, a crestfallen expression upon her face.

* * *

Back in their chambers, Rhea attempted to tuck in Byleth. Byleth, being completely awake, struggled against her mother’s efforts.

“What if I promised to be careful?”

“Byleth…” Rhea’s hair fell in front of her face as she looked down at the floor.

“What if I didn’t use a sword?”

“Fighting  **does not** make you a hero!” Rhea looked up, a fierce glint in her eyes.

Byleth, however, did not back down. “Just a shield, then! No sharp edges!”

“Byleth, you are the most precious thing in this world to me. So much so, that I blessed you with my mother’s crest stone when you were born.” Of course, that wasn’t  _ all _ she did, but no one could ever know the full truth, not even Byleth herself.

“You’ve told me this story.” The teal-haired girl looked up with a bored expression.   
“Then, I shall tell you a new story. One of our people, and of my days of battle.  **So you may finally understand why ** ** _war_ ** ** is nothing to hope for.** ”


	2. To Protect Her

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rhea explains the history of their people, and her brothers begin to train Byleth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a bit but this chapter was a bit hard to write! I'm more active on tumblr, so you can follow me there @ageofbileth! :)

**In the beginning, there were beings of incomprehensible knowledge known as the Agarthans. They were Fodlan’s only creation at the time, and their technology was far more advanced than anything we have now. Then, came a being of extraordinary power. She breathed new life into the land, creating a new species known as the Nabateans. They were born of her blood; they were her children.**

**Her name was Sothis. Buildings were erected in her honor, glorious temples with incredible artifacts and monumental architecture. The flow of time seemed to ebb through Sothis herself, and thus she became the Goddess of this new world. She granted her children powers, passed down through blood, which were symbolised through crests. Her eldest children roamed the land, performing incredible acts of faith to instill the worship of their mother, using these crests in her favor.**

**Her first child, Seiros, became renowned throughout Fodlan for her performance of what many considered miracles. She gained a large following, creating a church to worship her goddess, her mother. Soon after, Sothis went into slumber, settling in on her throne deep underneath the temple.**

**What no one realized was that the Argarthans were ever so slowly becoming jealous of the Nabateans and Sothis. They hid it well, letting it bubble as the humans gave their first breath, empires formed, and civilizations raised, all under the flag of the Church. Sothis continued to sleep as her faithful children kept guard, and Seiros led the newly founded Empire to greatness in her stead.**

**But soon the people grew tired of the control from the empire, and a rebellion was formed. Nemesis, the leader of said rebellion, was dubbed the ‘King of Liberation’. He bared the Crest of Flames, which was given to him by the Goddess herself. She had hoped he would help protect the Canyon as her children did, but that hope was eventually crushed.**

**He broke into the temple late at night, and slaughtered Sothis as she slept, gruesomely ripping out her spine and fashioning a sword of unbelievable power. He then murdered the Nabateans that came across him, using their remains to create even more weapons. Areadbhar, Aymr, Luin, and many others fell at the expense of Nemesis’s greed.**

**Nemesis and his rebels soon outmatched the remaining Nabateans, and so they fled to all corners of Fodlan in order to protect themselves. Seiros, however, had gained quite a following as well. She gathered an army strong enough to take down the opposing enemy, and the two forces clashed on the Tailtean Plain.**

**The battle was great; it was horrific. Blood spattered, and soaked into the ground like water. Soldiers fell one-by-one, a majority meeting their fateful end on that day. Seiros stood in the center, her golden hair piece shining in the rising sun, watching the chaos unfold with bated breath. An explosion manifested from a sword implanting itself in the ground, the Liberation King kneeling beside it.**

**The sword was her mother, and that dastard had stolen her from Seiros.**

**When their eyes met, all else stopped. The two rushed towards one another, swords at the ready like bared teeth from a rabid dog. Nemesis wanted to stop this so-called “divine” race from taking all accountability, and Seiros wanted revenge. The two armies stood in silence, watching in awe as the two leaders sparred in the center.**

**Nemesis’s sword unleashed like a whip, soaring towards the green-haired woman he was facing. She narrowly dodged it, and was soon able to disarm him, throwing both weapons to the ground as she rushed her opponent. A murderous gleam appeared in her eyes as she forced the bulky man to the ground, shoving a dagger into his chest.   
**

**The war was over, the sun was full in the blue sky, and her mother was safe.   
**

**The Empire achieved many things, all the while following the church of Seiros. The Nabateans soon came home, settling in and rebuilding what was left of the Red Canyon. Their most skilled magic users cast a barrier around the canyon, making it invisible to any outsider. And, most importantly, the goddess was safe again.   
**

**But Seiros knew that one day, their enemies would return. So she prayed to the goddess, who was resting in the heavens, for the protection of her people. And goddess sent a reply through an ancient weapon, one that would grow to be strong enough to take down any that would oppose her.**

It was dark, the moon had risen in the sky, and the stars were shining their brightest. It was then that young Byleth met Seteth in a cavern near the edge of the canyon. The elder tossed her a wooden sword, picking up a wooden axe for himself as they got into position. The two met every night for years, practicing in secret, improving the young girl’s technique and preparing her for the inevitable future she would have to face.

_ “We give thanks to the Goddess for this paradise.” _

_ “And the weapon? The one powerful enough to take down any enemy? May I see it?” _

The day after Rhea had told Byleth the history of their people, she took her into the lower floors of the Goddess Tower; into the Holy Tomb. The area was lit with an ethereal green light, and many coffins were cemented into the ground. Weapons were placed on top of them, and Rhea took the time to explain who those weapons once were.

When the reached the throne, a single sword was placed in front of it. Byleth knew that it had to be the sword created from the Goddess. But she noticed the one difference it had to all the other weapons- there was not a stone in the hilt.   


“Why is the red ball missing from this sword, Mother?”

“These red balls are called Crest Stones. And they are the weapons gifted by the Goddess. The stone is missing in this sword, because it is hidden. With the stone in this weapon, if wielded by the wrong person, could mean destruction for all of Fodlan. It is our duty to make sure that never comes to pass.”

“It is beautiful.”

“Indeed it is, little one.”   


As they turned to leave, Byleth could’ve sworn that she saw a girl sleeping on the throne, but when she turned back to glance a full look, nothing was there.

* * *

The lessons with Seteth soon transformed into lessons from all of her uncles. Indech caught on first, coming across the two as they began to practice in the forest during late evening. He laughed, for of course his older brother would disobey their sister like this. He taught Byleth how to shoot an arrow with such precision and stealth that even he wouldn’t be able to tell if she was about to shoot. Indech also instilled the importance of learning hand to hand combat, taking to brawling with her during their meetings.

Macuil, however, was a bit more harsh when his niece let it slip during one of their private horse riding lessons. He scolded his older brothers, though he eventually gave in when he saw how Byleth held her sword.  _ Honestly, Seteth… a sword is far different from an axe. You could at least teach her the proper way to wield each weapon if you’re going to have her use them. _

Flayn, of course, was already teaching her cousin some simple healing magic, as it wasn’t defensive and was actually quite useful in everyday life. Rhea didn’t mind. Flayn didn’t tell her that she was also showing her defensive technique with a lance- she felt her aunt would mind that.

Byleth was around twelve when Rhea finally found out what was going on. Four years of ignorance on the Archbishop’s part, which only made her anger worse. She caught word that the five of them were absent from the day’s activities, making her suspicious. So, she and her guard rode through the area to find them.   


Byleth’s sword clashed against Seteth’s axe, almost breaking under the weight of their swings. “You are doubting yourself, Byelth.” Seteth’s voice rang out, mocking the younger girl.

“No, I’m not.” The girl rushed towards Seteth, swinging her weapon at her elder only to be met with a dodge and a kick to her shin.

“Yes, you are.”

Byleth glared at her uncle, gripping the hilt of her training sword so tight that a crack appeared, “No, I am not!” The teal-haired tween jumped to her feet, meeting Seteth’s axe with her sword at every opportune moment. She definitely had skill, that much is certain. She was still young, though, and Seteth was able to overpower her after a few minutes, knocking her to the ground once more.

“You are stronger than you believe..”

Rhea, however, had felt she had seen enough, as she pulled at the reigns of her steed, guiding it into the view of the small group.

“Byleth! Are you hurt?” Her voice carried out through the area, concern laced within her tone.

The five of them turned to her, shocked that she had finally caught onto their scheme.   


“Mother? I.. I am fine, we were just..”

“Training!” Anger was clear as day on Rhea’s face, and her siblings met her stare with equal defiance. She sighed, gesturing to her guard. “Take Flayn and Byleth back to the temple, please.” The two in question didn’t dare speak up again as they followed the guard back to the palace. The eldest sibling waited until the young girls were out of reach before exploding in frustration.

“It seems that I am not the revered leader I should be! Disobeyed,  _ betrayed _ , by my own brothers! This is absolutely unacceptable. You know that the only rule I have had regarding Byleth is that she not train! She can learn other skills, and  _ be safe _ !”

“Rhea, you left us no choice. You left  _ me _ no choice.” Seteth was the first to speak up, crossing the small clearing to face his sister. “You neglect your duty if she cannot fight.”

“You speak of time that may never come! She may never have to leave the barrier!”

“Rhea, you feel it coming, as we all do.” Macuil’s deep voice rang clear, startling the others. “A war is coming to Fodlan, and it will not be simple.”

“But the stronger she gets…”

“We love her as you do, Rhea. You know we do. We don’t this for her. But… this is the only way to truly protect her.” Indech finally spoke up.

The Archbishop sighed, her eyes watering as she finally accepted the truth. “You will train her”  _ her voice cracked _ “harder than any Nabatean before her. Five times harder. Ten times harder. Until she is stronger than all of us.”

She nodded, looking up at her brothers with hardened eyes. 

**“And** **she may never know what she truly is.”**

* * *

Years had passed, and the group of brothers (and Flayn) never let up on Byleth’s training. She had grown into a beautiful young woman, her looks finally starting to catch up to the Nabateans she grew up with. Though she was a bit skeptical as to why her hair was so different and why she was aging faster than everyone, her mother assured her there was nothing to worry about- that she’d grow into it.

And she was right. Though she did not seem to look like a normal Nabatean, her prowess in weapons proved her to be a superior example of their species. She was the one to fight on the training grounds, and every soldier seemed to flock towards her to be her next opponent; which led to days like this.

Her long, choppy, teal hair flew in the wind as she backflipped off of a table. She quickly brought her sword up, swinging it towards her attacker with a harsh grunt. The metal weapons hit each other with quick succession, until Byleth eventually disarmed the other fighter. A glint of silver caught her peripheral, and she smirked as she threw her rounded shield at Indech’s figure on the overlooking cliff. He dropped his bow, smiling as he bowed and left to stand next to his older sister.

Macuil was up next, with Flayn right behind him. Byleth brought her spare arm up to guard herself better, running to meet the both of them head on. Flayn jabbed her lance at Byleth, and the girl parried with a quick stroke of her sword arm. Macuil took the opening to swing his sword towards Byleth’s torso, but she protected herself with her gauntlet, punching the blunt side of the sword away with her wrist.   


Fairly quickly, Byleth was able to knock Flayn back with a sweep of her leg, bending down as she swung her lance to attack. As she got back on her feet, she was met with the hilt of Macuil’s sword to her jaw. Her head was thrown back in pain, and she had to bring her spare hand up to assess the damage. Pretending to lose consciousness, she dropped her sword and instead brought her fist to her opponent's nose.

Macuil stepped back, going to the sidelines as Seteth rushed in with his axe, not giving Byleth a moment to hesitate as he attacked her. Narrowly dodging, she rolled back to where her sword was laying on the ground and brought it up to clash against the ax. The two fought with a tempo that was unmatched, and their fellow soldiers looked on in awe.   


They were both so in sync, it was hard to tell if one had an edge up on the other. But, once again, Byleth was able to gain the victory as she slapped the axe out of his hands and knocked him on the ground. Looking up, she saw her mother smiling down at her- the sun behind her made her look like the Goddess herself.   


But of course, such smugness never lasts.   


Seteth quickly got back up as Byleth was preoccupied with her apparent victory, punching her in the stomach and effectively taking the breath out of her. He picked up her forgotten sword, and began to slash at the younger girl. She barely had time to bring her hands up to guard herself.

“Never let your guard down, Byleth!”  _ slash _ “Do you think a battle will be fair?!”  _ slash _ “ A battle will never be fair!”

With his final swing, Byleth brought both of her gauntlets to her face, smashing them together in a sense of urgency. She definitely didn’t expect the armor to glow green and create a surge of power- a gust of wind that knocked Seteth back a few yards, hitting his head harshly on the ground.

All was quiet as the wind died down, and Byleth could do nothing but stare at the mess she made. Her hands were shaking, and her armor was still glowing with a bright green light. She stuttered out apology after apology as people ran to check on their general.   


Rhea looked down upon the scene sadly, shaking her head as she watched her daughter run off.

**“What have I done?”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think! Next chapter, Dimitri will be introduced along with the beginning of the actual plot! :)


End file.
